Failure Analysis of Additively Manufactured Polyester Test Specimens Exposed to Various Liquid Media

Additive manufacturing platforms that rely on thermoplastic feedstock materials are now expected to fabricate components intended for deployment in a wide variety of environments, necessitating an understanding of the ability of a material to perform within a broad range of conditions. The work presented here explored the effect of submerging two polyester materials widely used in fused filament fabrication processes in five common liquid media: distilled water, apple cider vinegar, Mexican Coca-cola, 200 proof ethanol and distilled white vinegar for a seven day duration. Mechanical testing, dynamic mechanical analysis and characterization of the fracture surfaces via scanning electron microscopy were used to understand the effect of liquid media exposure. The effects of polymer degradation due to hygroscopic and hydrolytic mechanisms effects were documented. The need for specific procedures for the testing of the environmental effects on the degradation of additively manufactured polymeric components is also highlighted.